The Dawn Patrol
The Dawn Patrol (not to be confused with Dawn Patrol - an Air Police era short story) was a short story which was first published in the Boys' Friend Library edition of Biggles Learns to Fly. The story spanned the last two chapters, No. 23 and 24 and had the chapter headings The Dawn Patrol and The Stranded Pup. The story is a heavily edited and substantially modified derivative of Knights of the Sky, a short story which wass published in The Modern Boy No. 328, 19th May 1934. The original story was set in 169 Sqn with Biggles flying the F.E.2b with his partner Mark Way. For the BFL edition of Biggles Learns to Fly, the editors took the story and transposed the setting to 266 Sqn, with the characters and some narrative elements changed to make the plotline fit. So different is the result from the orginal that it really should be considered a different story or the same story from a different Biggles "universe". The Dawn Patrol story appeared in the subsequent Brockhampton and Armada editions of Biggles Learns to Fly but presented as one chapter instead of two. The story does not appear in the Red Fox and Norman Wright editions because in these cases, the editors opted to revert to the original Modern Boy text and plotline of Knights of the Air. Red Fox continued to use the title The Dawn Patrol but it now refers to the Modern Boy story set in 169 Sqn. Synopsis Biggles takes part in a dawn patrol led by his Flight Commander Mahoney. They become enmeshed in a heavy dogfight with other British aircraft against a superior force of enemy fighters. At the end of the combat, Biggles spots a disabled British aircraft making a forced landing behind enemy lines and lands to pick up the pilot. It turns out to be Mahoney. Plot (may contain spoilers - click on expand to read) Characters *Biggles *Captain Mahoney *Mark Way *Major Mullen Aircraft *Sopwith Camel *F.E.2 *Fokker Dr.I Places Visited *266 Squadron, Maranique Mentioned Editorial Changes *In the BFL edition, the second part of the story was in a separate chapter entitled The Stranded Pup, referring, of course, to Mahoney, whose Pup had been disabled, obliging him to make a forced landing behind enemy lines. In the Brockhampton and Armada editions, Mahoney and Biggles are flying Camels. Other Research Notes *Aerial Victories: Biggles 1 (Fokker Dr.I) Incongruities *The editing was not perfect. Traces of the original Modern Boy text remain and could potentiall cause confusion. **During the dogfight, Biggles notes that the British aircraft comprise F.E.2s and Pups. Why Pups? Biggles and his flight mates were flying Camels, at least in the Brockhampton and Armada editions. In the original text, the Pups were from 266 Sqn. The F.E.2s were Biggles' flight mates. **After flying Mahoney back to Maranique, Biggles anxiously asks what happened to the two F.E.2s. Why is he so interested in them and not in his own Camel squadron mates? That's because, in the original text, these two F.E.2s were his flight mates Marriot and McAngus. In the revised text, his concern about the F.E.2s does not make sense. Chronology (see also table at Timeline of the Biggles Stories) *June 1917, just after Biggles' Revenge. Publication History *''Biggles Learns to Fly'', Boy's Friend Library 1935 (as Chapter 23: The Dawn Patrol, Chapter 24: The Stranded Pup) *''Biggles Learns to Fly'', Brockhampton, 1955 *''Biggles Learns to Fly'', Armada, 1963, and subsequent reprints *''Biggles Learns to Fly'', Severn House, 1980 *''Biggles Learns to Fly'', Knight, 1986, and subsequent reprints References Category:Short stories Category:Biggles short stories Category:World War One era short stories